Overwatch is one of the best shooters on the market, but getting into it as a beginner isn't easy. You have to have a grasp of the maps, playstyles, and conventions to be successful. But the heroes of Overwatch are at the heart of the game.
This guide is available to download as a free PDF. Download the Overwatch Heroes Beginner's Guide Now . Feel free to copy and share this with your friends and family.Each of the Overwatch heroes are unique. His attacks, abilities, ultimates, roles, and best strategies are all highly specific. When you start out, having a basic understanding of each hero will help you choose the one that suits you best.
In this article, we'll introduce you to each Overwatch hero and help you choose the best Overwatch hero for your playstyle.
As a Complete Overwatch Beginner 7 Overwatch Tips for the Complete Beginner 7 Overwatch Tips for the Complete Beginner You've seen the wonderful trailers on YouTube and decided to buy Overwatch. However, there is a problem:You have no idea how to play! That is how. Read More In your first few matches, you won't know which characters best suit your style of play. Use this time to discover the different roles in Overwatch and decide which one you like best.
Pick a character that looks like fun and start learning how they work. But don't commit yourself too much to a hero. After a bit, change it.
Play different roles and heroes within each role. Not only will this help you find the heroes you like to play, but it will also help you learn the strengths and weaknesses of each character when you play against them.
You can watch heroes at the Practice Range or play a game against bots for a basic test drive. Alternatively, try the Mystery Heroes mode in Arcade, which randomly switches heroes every time you die. We don't recommend this for absolute newcomers, but it's a great way to get a feel for the game after you've played a bit.
On the information screen for each hero, you will see a difficulty rating of one to three stars. This gives you an idea of how much effort it takes to understand the hero's kit, but it doesn't always take into account the character's skill level and ceiling. We expand on the difficulty ratings below.
Remember that team composition matters. A common build is two damaged heroes, two tanks, and two healers. On the hero select screen, the game says when you miss a healer or are low on damage.
Having a well-balanced team is important, so take a look at your team and see what role it should play. This flexibility will take you far in Overwatch.
Prior to June 2018, Overwatch divided damage heroes into Offense and Defense categories. Now, everyone is in a group.
As you might expect, heroes dealing damage (also known as “DPS,” or damage per second) are responsible for securing kills. They're generally a bit fragile (low health heroes are often called "squishy"), but do most of the team's damage.
Ashe is the newest hero at the time of writing. She is an outlaw who has the unique ability to aim down the sights of her rifle. If she does, she grants bonus damage, but lowers the rate of fire.
As Ashe, you also have access to a Coach Gun that knocks back enemies (and you). The Dynamite from her allows you to burn enemies over time and drive them away, as you can shoot the explosive to blow it up sooner. Asnic Omnic's partner B.O.B. joins the fray when he uses his last.
Difficulty: Medium. Ashe has a variety of situational abilities to get used to, but her method of dealing damage is pretty straightforward.
Play if You like to aim down sights and want additional ways to damage the enemy.
Bastion, a popular Overwatch hero, uses a simple machine gun as his primary weapon in Recon mode. However, when switching to Sentinel mode, he becomes a motionless turret with a huge rotating machine gun that deals a ton of damage..
Bastion's self-healing ability is especially useful in this mode, because he becomes a primary target. While his damage output is huge against unsuspecting targets, a coordinated team can easily shut down the Bastion.
Difficulty :Easy Bastion isn't complicated, it's all about finding a good spot and ripping the enemy apart.
Play if :You want to be a stationary force of destruction (although we recommend being strategic with your placement).
This hero is all about close combat. His shotgun-like hand cannon and his melee attacks do a lot of damage, but he fights from a distance. The best hit from him, Meteor Strike, can clear a lot of space and easily take out soft targets..
Doomfist also generates shields when he deals damage with his abilities. This high risk/high reward setup makes it imperative that you get into the fray quickly.
Difficulty :Hard. Doomfist is all about managing his abilities to ensure kills and keep escape routes open.
Play if :You love close-range combat and want to hit your opponents.
Genji is a fearsome adversary in the right hands. His shuriken throwing is great for damage from a distance, and his ultimate allows him to quickly destroy multiple targets with one sword.
He will have to master his deflection, which sends all projectiles to the sender of him. Genji's powerful dash ability resets when he gets a kill, which can help you escape danger.
Overall, Genji is more of an assassin who secures kills and harasses the enemy than a consistent damage dealer like some of the other characters in this category.
Difficulty :Hard. Mastering Genji requires expert movement, situational awareness, and target prioritization.
Play if :You want to take out high-value targets, and you like to move around a lot.
Hanzo picks up a bow and arrow instead of a gun. He is a mid-range sniper who can select targets and deal a lot of damage thanks to the Storm Arrow ability..
His Sonic Arrow serves as a radar pulse, marking your enemies. Hanzo's ultimate sends two massive spirit dragons through walls and enemies, making it an excellent area denial tool.
Difficulty :Hard. Hanzo can deal tons of damage, but accuracy is paramount when using it. If you can't reach your goals, you'll be better off with someone else.
Play if :You want to shoot, but not with a sniper rifle (and like big dragons).
Junkrat is chaos personified. His primary weapon fires grenades everywhere, and he can throw and detonate two mines to send enemies (and himself) flying. A trap allows you to stop flanking enemies, too..
RIP-Tire, at his max, is a fast-moving wheel of bombs that can get behind enemy lines and blow up multiple enemies at once. Junkrat even releases a large amount of grenades when he dies. And best of all, none of the explosives on him can harm him..
Difficulty :Medium You don't have to aim much with Junkrat, but his abilities take a while to master. He also fights at close range and against targets above him.
Play if :You like to blow up everything.
This Old West-style gunslinger has a powerful revolver that is best used at close to medium range. It's an impact weapon, so it's great for taking down fast-moving targets like Pharah.
His secondary fire, Fan the Hammer, unleashes all remaining bullets at high velocity with a significant accuracy penalty. This is great when combined with his Flashbang grenade. McCree's Ultimate is great for taking out a lot of enemies at once, as long as you do it right.
Difficulty :Medium McCree is an excellent duelist and counters flanks, but his mobility is poor and with only six bullets, missing shots are costly.
Play if :You consider yourself a marksman, but you don't want to play a sniper.
Mei has a great ability to stop the enemy's progress. Her Endothermic Blaster fires a stream of supercooled fluid, slowing down and eventually freezing enemies in place of her. This makes them especially vulnerable to her secondary fire, a nasty icicle..
She can also encase herself in ice to regain health. While the Ice Wall ability can break or trap the opposing team, it's also easy to mess up your teammates.
Difficulty :Hard. Mei controls the battlefield when played well, but using his wall at the right time is crucial. The two shooting modes of it also take practice..
Play if :Do you like to defend strategically, or do you want to freeze pesky opponents.
This rocket soldier's greatest strength lies in his ability to hover above the battlefield, raining down a constant barrage of rockets on the enemy. Pharah is one of the hardest hit heroes in the game, but even with the rocket damage from the rockets on him, he's not guaranteed a hit..
And keep in mind that hovering over everyone's heads makes you a great target for hitscan heroes like McCree and Solider:76.
Difficulty :Easy Phrarah dominates when his enemies can't aim well and he doesn't have complicated skills to master.
Play if :You want to do a lot of damage from the sky..
Reaper's coolness factor appeals to many beginners. Her twin Hellfire shotguns do a ton of damage if you can get close. Stealth movement, aided by the ability to teleport, is required to use it effectively as a flank.
If you can jump out of the shadows and unleash a barrage of gunfire, it won't last long; Reaper is great for shredding tanks. He will also benefit from destruction, as Reaper absorbs 30% of damage given as health..
Difficulty :Easy Reaper's movement abilities allow him to slide around the map and your goal is to kill everything in sight.
Play if :You like to sneak around and surprise your opponents with a shower of buckshot.
Soldier:76 is a lot like a character from Call of Duty or other first-person shooters. Why has Call of Duty run its course? (And the best alternatives) Why Call of Duty has run its course (and the best alternatives) Call of Duty was once the first first-person shooter, but it's plagued with problems. Here's why Call of Duty isn't worth your time anymore and the best games you should play. Read more . He's a shooter who excels at mid-range.
If you've played a marksman before, he's an easy DPS hero to start with, but don't underestimate him. Soldier:76 is a solid choice for everyone, even after you've graduated from the beginner level.
Difficulty :Easy Soldier's basic skill kit makes him easy to pick up and use, as he doesn't have any major weaknesses.
Play if :You've played other shooters and want an easy introduction to Overwatch.
Sombra stands out as an elite hacker. He can hack opponents to block their abilities for a few seconds or hack health packs to work only for your team. It's a great skill, but it takes some practice to get used to.
If you can use his stealth and hack to surprise the enemy, his pistol can quickly burn enemies. Map awareness is key when using Shadow to attack enemies, especially since he can see low health characters through walls.
Difficulty :Hard. Sombra requires detailed map knowledge, good objective prioritization, and team communication to be truly effective.
Play if :You like to be sneaky and you want to irritate the other team.
Symmetra's Photon Projector does more damage the longer it hits an enemy, and even generates ammo when targeting a shield. As it stacks up, this beam can pierce through enemies in no time. His alternate fire shoots balls of energy..
His kit has two other key parts. She can launch three small turrets that damage and slow enemies. And her teleporter allows her team to be diverted to a remote location, perfect for transporting low-mobility heroes where they normally couldn't go.
The last photon barrier unfurls a massive shield that covers the entire map. This can block an enemy push, or give you a barrier to cover an advance.
Difficulty :Medium Symmetra's abilities are very useful, but require practice to use effectively.
Play if :You want to have a subtle but strong effect on the game.
This Swedish engineer has a rivet gun that can fire short to medium range shots. Once he's learned his projectile bow, long range headshots become a lot of fun.
Torbjörn's signature ability allows him to create rapid-firing turrets that give you a lot of extra firepower in a fight. The last layer of her covers an area of molten lava, negating enemy movement..
Difficulty :Medium Torb is great for blocking off an area, but using the turret from it effectively takes practice.
Play if :You like the idea of a turret to help you do your job.
Tracer looks to get in close and dish out a lot of damage with her two auto weapons. She is all about taking advantage of movement, as she can use Blink to teleport short distances and remember to go back a few seconds and recover health. The ultimate is a simple sticky bomb, and the pulse guns from it are straightforward..
The girl's poster from Overwatch, but her low health means you need to master her movement to stay alive.
Difficulty :Medium Tracer is hard to hit if you use her skills well, but her fragility means you can't afford to make mistakes..
Play if :You like to move fast and dish out damage before quickly disappearing again.
The true sniper of Overwatch, Widowmaker is all about long range headshots. His sniper rifle converts to an automatic rifle for close range combat, but it's better when he's shooting..
If she has a big target and can consistently get headshots on fast-moving targets, Widowmaker is a great asset to a team. But since it's usually not on target, it offers little utility other than getting kills.
Difficulty :Medium If you don't hit key shots with Widow, you're not doing your team any favors.
Play if :You are a sniper, until the end.
Overwatch's tanky heroes hold the front line, absorb damage, and help their teammates dish out the damage.
Although unofficial, players differentiate between "main tanks" and "off-tanks." The main tanks hold the front line with a shield, while the tanks have other priorities.
D.Va's MEKA fires two fusion cannons and unleashes a barrage of micro missiles. His Defense Matrix can stop almost all projectiles in the game, including the latest ones like Hanzo.
His mech also has a boost that closes distance quickly and can knock enemies off the map. When his mech's health drops to zero, D.Va ejects and has a pistol he can use until his next mech is ready..
Difficulty :Medium D.Va is an incredibly versatile tank that can dive into enemies, protect the team's backline from him, and use his shield to absorb damage..
Play if :You want to be a mobile tank that can switch roles in an instant and not die when you lose all your health.
A main tank, Orisa moves slowly and forms a strong front line. She can fire shields anywhere, bolsters her own defenses for a few seconds with Fortify, and lays down a nearly constant stream of fusion bullets.
Her ultimate amps increase the damage of everyone around her, making her an asset during team pushes. And the height of it! The projectile pulls enemies in to make them vulnerable or drops them off a ledge.
Difficulty :Medium Orisa's deployable shield placement is easy to mess up, and her abilities require good timing.
Play if :You want to coordinate and support her team's actions, and you don't mind moving at glacial speeds.
Reinhardt has a giant rocket-powered hammer. In addition to a sturdy shield, he can fire a flaming projectile. This main tank also has the ability to charge forward at high speed, pinning enemies to walls for massive damage.
His ultimate Earth Destroyer knocks back enemies, leaving them open to hammer blows. Reinhardt is a great starter tank for a reason:his shield can successfully lead a team charge, but he can dish out damage with the best of them. A good Reinhardt will serve as the backbone of a team.
Difficulty :Easy Reinhardt's barrier is simple and your role is to stay in front and protect the team.
Play if :You want to lead the charge and protect your teammates from just about anything. Just remember not to get carried away doing damage..
Roadhog is a robust off-tank. His signature ability is the Chain Hook, which grabs an enemy and pulls them in for a close-range blast from his Scrap Gun-type Scrap Gun.
His huge health pool and his ability to heal quickly give Roadhog high survivability. Whole Hog, the best of him, makes his weapon fully automatic for a few seconds. This can push enemies away from an objective or trap them in a corridor.
Difficulty :Easy Roadhog is all about hooking enemies out of position to punish them. His self-healing keeps you alive even when healers are down..
Play if :You want maximum durability and destroy opponents with the chain hook.
Winston's Tesla Cannon is one of the few weapons in Overwatch that doesn't require a lot of aim. The beam follows opponents, so as long as you point it in the right direction, it will hit. His short range isn't a problem due to his rocket launch, which propels him into battle.
He can also drop a shield to protect himself and teammates from him. And when his final Primal Rage kicks in, he engages the King Kong on the opposing team. Winston is generally considered a main tank due to his shield, but requires good coordination with his team as his weapon is not particularly strong.
Difficulty :Medium Winston is a strong stalker, but the long recovery times of his skills can leave him helpless without help..
Play if :You don't like to aim too much, or you want to dive behind enemy lines to kill soft targets like Tracer and Zenyatta.
As a highly mobile mobile tank, Wrecking Ball switches between a rolling ball and a mech with cannon weapons. His grappling hook allows him to gain speed to hit enemies. And when he gets into trouble, he can deploy a shield that increases in strength the more enemies are close.
His last minefield drops a cluster of proximity mines that can cover a key area for several seconds. Playing Wrecking Ball is all about controlling an area and starting fights. But it's a poor lone tank, as it doesn't have a way to protect allies.
Difficulty :Hard. Wrecking Ball has to keep moving to be effective and stay alive, but knowing when to engage and when to retreat is tricky.
Play if :You want to attack your enemies and lead the charge of the team..
Another off-tank, Zarya has a particle cannon that can deal a massive amount of damage, if you wield it correctly. She has the ability to deploy a shield around herself or a teammate. Any damage these shields block increases her weapon charge. And the last of it, Graviton Surge, sucks enemies into a black hole for a huge opportunity.
When played right, Zarya can save her teammates from deadly situations (such as hooking up with Roadhog) and decimate enemies with a loaded gun. But the strategic deployment of those shields is crucial, giving Zarya a steep learning curve.
Difficulty :Hard. It's pretty hard to read situations and know when to use Zarya's shields. And if you're not saving your teammates and running around with a heavy load, Zarya's utility is low.
Play if :You want to soak up enemy damage, protect your teammates, and do a lot of damage.
These Overwatch heroes exist to keep their teammates alive and provide other important utility. As a support player, you're usually the enemy's main target, so playing smart is key.
Like tanks, you will often hear healers divided into main healers and healers. Healers don't usually give enough healing to keep the team alive, so it's best to pair them with a primary healer.
Have you ever wanted to shoot your teammates? With Ana, you can. Her biotic rifles round up enemies and heal teammates. But that's not all she offers her team..
Her biotic grenades increase a teammate's healing and temporarily prevent enemies from receiving healing. The Sleep Dart hits enemies, leaving them vulnerable. Ana's ultimate, Nano Boost, buffs a teammate by increasing their damage given and reducing damage taken.
If you have solid sniper chops, Ana is a fun and dynamic hero. She is a main healer, as long as you make your shots consistently.
Difficulty :Hard. Ana is the most difficult support character to play because she requires precise targeting and her abilities are difficult to use effectively.
Play if :You are a sharpshooter who wants to heal your teammates at a range.
Brigitte is a tank-like healer. She has a small shield that can protect herself or a teammate. Her most powerful ability, Shield Bash, stuns an enemy to open them up and attack. And her Rocket Flail hits enemies, healing nearby allies when she deals damage thanks to her Inspire ability.
She also has a repair pack to heal enemies (and provide armor, if they're already finished off). Hers last Rally hers, allows her to move faster and grants armor to all nearby allies..
Difficulty :Easy Due to her shield slam and large area of effect winning mace, Brigitte makes it easy to play a big role in team fights..
Play if :You like the idea of playing Tank, but you also want to heal your team.
Lúcio is a DJ whose weapons and abilities are based on music. He can switch between two songs that heal or increase the speed of teammates near him. His Sonic Amplifier's secondary fire will push enemies back, which is great for knocking enemies off ledges. And even cooler, he can ride on walls!
The Ultimate Noise Barrier provides shields to teammates, which can save them from a large enemy attack. Depending on the composition of his team, Lúcio can be a primary healer or a healer. Learning when to switch between healing him and speed boosts is key to mastering him..
Difficulty :Medium While easy to understand, Lúcio has a maximum skill cap. Mastering her movement will take work.
Play if :You want to stay with the team and boost it, and you love going from one place to another.
Mercy is the easiest healer to play. His staff can toggle between healing and increasing damage from one teammate at a time. Guardian Angel's ability allows him to fly to teammates in need, and he can slow his descent to stay in the air longer. Mercy also heals itself after it prevents damage for a short time.
His most powerful ability is Resurrection, which allows him to bring a teammate back from the dead. But he has a long cooldown and Mercy is vulnerable when she uses it, so she be careful. With all aspects of Mercy, positioning is key to staying alive.
Difficulty :Fácil Mercy no tiene habilidades particularmente complejas, lo que la convierte en una gran curandera principiante.
Jugar si :Quieres un sanador poderoso que pueda volar a cualquier aliado que lo necesite y amar revivir a las personas.
La capacidad de agarre biótico de Moira representa la naturaleza dual de su kit. Una mano rocía la niebla curativa que repara a los aliados cercanos, pero tiene recursos limitados. La otra mano dispara un rayo que drena la salud de los enemigos y recarga su energía curativa rápidamente..
También puede disparar dos orbes bióticos, uno que daña a los enemigos y otro que sana a los aliados. Su coalescencia, su máxima, es un rayo de largo alcance que sana a los aliados y daña a los enemigos al mismo tiempo. Finalmente, Fade la deja desaparecer por un momento para esquivar el daño y acercarse a los compañeros de equipo..
Si te quedas con tu equipo y mantienes tus recursos de sanación drenando a los enemigos, Moira puede producir una inmensa cantidad de sanación, lo que la convierte en una sólida curandera principal..
Dificultad :Medio Moira tiene que ver con el equilibrio. Debes dañar a los enemigos ocasionalmente, pero saber cuándo hacer esto mientras mantienes vivos a tus compañeros es vital.
Jugar si :Quieres tener un fuerte potencial de curación y no te importa acercarte a los enemigos para recargar tu energía.
Al igual que Moira, Zenyatta es capaz de dañar y curar. Su preciso ataque Orb of Destruction hace una gran cantidad de daño para un soporte. También puede cargar una descarga de orbes para derrotar a los héroes de bajo HP en un disparo..
Zenyatta puede colocar un Orbe de Armonía en un compañero de equipo para curarlo, siempre y cuando mantenga la línea de visión. Del mismo modo, Orb of Discord hará que un enemigo reciba un 30% más de daño. Su máxima, Trascendencia, le otorga invencibilidad y sana rápidamente a los aliados cercanos, cancelando los enemigos finales como los de Genji..
Mientras que sus habilidades son simples, jugar Zenyatta no lo es. Es extremadamente frágil y lento, lo que significa que no tiene opciones para escapar de los flancos o francotiradores enemigos. También es un curandero, ya que su orbe de Armonía no hace suficiente curación para mantener a todo un equipo en marcha.
Dificultad :Difícil. Zenyatta requiere que leas constantemente la batalla para decidir quién debe tener los orbes Harmony y Discord. Es vulnerable a muchas formas de daño, pero mantenerse con vida es vital para mantener a los aficionados a tu equipo.
Jugar si :Desea curar y hacer daño, y puede tomar decisiones basadas en el panorama general.
¿Todavía no estás seguro de a quién intentar primero? Aquí hay algunas sugerencias para los héroes principiantes de Overwatch (y algunas para evitar al principio):
Con tantos héroes únicos de Overwatch, deberías poder encontrar un personaje que se ajuste a tu estilo de juego. Es solo cuestión de empezar. Te recomendamos que juegues con todos los héroes por lo menos algunas veces, incluso aquellos que no suenan como tu tipo..
Puede que te sorprendan los estilos de juego que disfrutas, y obtendrás una buena visión de cómo jugar contra otros héroes. Además, dado que Overwatch te permite cambiar a tu héroe en cualquier momento, tener preparadas otras opciones puede ayudarte a cambiar el rumbo de una pelea. Cambiar para contrarrestar la composición de tu enemigo es clave.
Para más juegos que requieran trabajo en equipo, eche un vistazo a los tiradores altamente tácticos que debe probar. 7 Tiradores altamente tácticos que valen su tiempo. 7 Tiradores altamente tácticos que valen su tiempo. Estos siete tiradores tácticos requieren que juegues en equipo y prioriza el pensamiento inteligente sobre un dedo de disparo rápido. Lee mas .
